I built my career on technology that increases human freedom. Over 30 years, that work has generated more than $300M in revenue. Most recently, I led sales and partnerships at Amboss Technologies, NYDIG Payments, and Bottlepay.
Today I help Bitcoin and freedom tech startups compete and win commercially. Surveillance Economy platforms dominate distribution and user experience. Freedom tech will win by being better at both.
Product first, partnerships second
Most Bitcoin startups chase partnerships too early. The outcomes are often the same. The product has gaps—UX is rough, reliability issues persist, features are missing. But the company needs distribution, needs validation, needs someone else’s reach.
So they chase partnerships. Big partners. Traditional companies with established customer bases. The pitch is some version of “Partner with us to bring Bitcoin to your customers.”
It rarely works. Not because the pitch is wrong. Because the timing is wrong and the product isn’t ready.
Trust Revolution podcast
Rethinking trust for a decentralized future